Could penguins go blind due to climate change?

Antarctica – Due to increasingly longer exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation during the summer, Antarctica animals like penguins are not only at risk of sunburn, but also eye damage.

Despite the efforts of the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which reduced the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to an extent that allowed the ozone layer to begin to repair itself, climate change could reverse progress.

The revelations came to light in a recently published study on April 25, 2024 that looked at the impact of climate change-induced UV radiation and ozone depletion on wildlife, particularly in the Antarctic region.

“We know that increased UV-B radiation increases the risk of skin cancer and cataracts in humans,” the study reported. “Potentially similar eye damage occurs in penguins and seals.”

In Antarctica, UV radiation peaks when the thinning hole in the ozone layer is over parts of the region in September and October. However, as climate change continues to wreak havoc, that peak has extended into November.

Professor Sharon Robinson of the University of Wollongong, a climate change biologist, told the BBC on April 27 that people’s perception that the ozone layer is “better now” is part of the problem.

“There is a hole – an area where the ozone layer is very depleted – that appears over Antarctica every spring,” explains Prof. Robinson. “That’s when things come to light and are most vulnerable… Probably the biggest risk to Antarctic animals is eye damage.”

While it is not clear that penguins specifically suffer from cataracts, the fact that scientists are warning of ‘similar’ eye conditions is worrying as they can effectively lead to blindness.

News of the dangers of increased UV radiation and ozone layer depletion to penguin populations comes weeks after thousands of penguin chicks recently died due to climate change and avian flu has spread in the Antarctic region.

The dangers of UV radiation don’t end with cataracts and eye damage either, with the very same research pointing to potentially catastrophic changes in penguins’ mating habits.

“The timing of exposure is likely important,” the study reports. “With emperor penguin chicks hatching in winter and seal pups born in October and November, they may be more affected by ozone depletion (and reflected UV radiation) than the young of other penguin species hatching in summer.”